Top Ten Bingo, which is due to open in Billingham, held a balloon race to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care. The helium-filled balloons were sold in Billingham town square for a minimum 50p donation and released by Kelly Taylor, community fundraising co-ordinator for Marie Curie, and Top Ten's area manager Graeme Corner.

He said: "This is partly our way of saying thank you to the staff in the Marie Curie shop for putting up with having our mobile office - where we're enrolling members for the bingo club - parked on their doorstep.

"It was an absolutely fantastic day and we managed to raise £230 which we were really happy with."

A total of 420 balloons were sold and the one which travels furthest and is returned by Friday will win prizes of £50 for the finder and £250 for the sender. The prize money is being donated by Top Ten Bingo.